Unemployment Rates Fall in Most Battleground States

Jobless rates dropped in most swing states last month. View updated data for all 50 states.

Several key battleground states showed noticeable drops in the unemployment rate in Friday’s jobs report, the last to be released with state-by-state estimates before the November elections.

Seasonally-adjusted jobless rates fell in almost all states considered to be in play last month with the exception of Pennsylvania, where it increased 0.1 percent. September jobless rates remained unchanged for Virginia and New Hampshire.

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Across the country, the U.S. Labor Department reported month-over-month unemployment rate declines in 41 states, while only six experienced an uptick. The estimates mirror the drop in the national unemployment rate, which fell from 8.1 percent in August to 7.8 percent in September.

Nevada’s unemployment rate -- the nation’s highest -- dipped 0.3 percent to 11.8 percent in September. The state added an estimated 7,100 jobs for the month, including a few thousand in the construction and business service sectors.

Colorado and Wisconsin, two other states the campaigns are targeting, each added jobs and saw their seasonally adjusted unemployment rates decline 0.2 percent.

The Labor Department’s household survey used to calculate the unemployment rate and the payroll survey of employers yielded contrasting results for some other states, likely to provide fodder for both presidential campaigns.

Pennsylvania added 17,800 jobs for the month -- second only behind Texas -- but its unemployment rate from the household survey actually rose 0.1 percent. Virginia’s nonfarm employment swelled by 11,500 positions, while its unemployment rate remained unchanged.

Ohio’s total payroll employment shrunk by 12,800 for the month, which is the largest loss of nearly every state, but its jobless rate still dipped 0.2 percent for the month to 7 percent. Similarly, Iowa also lost jobs, but its seasonally adjusted rate noticeably dropped 0.3 percent.

The unemployment rate considers the total size of a state’s labor force, which fluctuates as workers enter and exit the job market from region to region.

Texas (+21,000), Pennsylvania (+17,800) and the District of Columbia (+14,200) tallied the most net job gains over the month.

The Labor Department will release its October national jobs report Nov. 2 -- less than a week before Election Day.

State Employment Totals and Unemployment Rates for September:

State

September Nonfarm Employment

Change from August

Change since 09/2011

August Unemployment Rate

September Unemployment Rate

Rate Change

Texas

10,857,600

21,000

262,700

7.1

6.8

-0.3

Pennsylvania

5,733,900

17,800

41,100

8.1

8.2

0.1

District of Columbia

739,600

14,200

6,600

8.8

8.7

-0.1

Illinois

5,711,500

13,800

52,500

9.1

8.8

-0.3

South Carolina

1,860,500

13,700

29,300

9.6

9.1

-0.5

Virginia

3,722,500

11,500

36,000

5.9

5.9

0

Maryland

2,581,300

9,800

25,500

7.1

6.9

-0.2

New York

8,825,000

9,600

125,000

9.1

8.9

-0.2

Kentucky

1,840,700

9,300

47,000

8.5

8.4

-0.1

California

14,347,900

8,500

262,000

10.6

10.2

-0.4

Nevada

1,136,100

7,100

6,000

12.1

11.8

-0.3

Arizona

2,469,500

7,000

53,100

8.3

8.2

-0.1

Colorado

2,300,200

7,000

37,300

8.2

8

-0.2

Minnesota

2,713,500

5,900

29,200

5.9

5.8

-0.1

Washington

2,880,600

5,300

57,600

8.6

8.5

-0.1

Maine

595,800

5,200

0

7.7

7.6

-0.1

Massachusetts

3,249,600

5,100

44,600

6.3

6.5

0.2

Georgia

3,942,100

3,800

56,300

9.2

9

-0.2

Tennessee

2,685,100

3,300

20,400

8.5

8.3

-0.2

Mississippi

1,085,400

3,200

-7,000

9.1

9.2

0.1

Nebraska

958,300

3,200

12,700

4

3.9

-0.1

Alabama

1,878,300

2,500

12,600

8.5

8.3

-0.2

Missouri

2,657,200

2,500

11,400

7.2

6.9

-0.3

Hawaii

605,700

2,300

12,300

6.1

5.7

-0.4

Utah

1,238,600

2,300

19,800

5.8

5.4

-0.4

Idaho

618,800

2,100

11,100

7.4

7.1

-0.3

Connecticut

1,626,100

2,000

1,900

9

8.9

-0.1

Rhode Island

458,000

2,000

-1,700

10.7

10.5

-0.2

Wisconsin

2,729,200

1,400

-4,800

7.5

7.3

-0.2

Delaware

416,200

1,300

200

6.9

6.8

-0.1

Florida

7,349,800

800

63,500

8.8

8.7

-0.1

Alaska

330,600

700

2,500

7.7

7.5

-0.2

Montana

434,200

600

7,900

6.3

6.1

-0.2

New Mexico

794,600

300

-10,600

6.5

6.4

-0.1

Vermont

302,900

100

2,600

5.3

5.4

0.1

North Carolina

3,953,000

100

31,500

9.7

9.6

-0.1

North Dakota

420,700

-1,000

22,300

3

3

0

South Dakota

407,600

-1,100

3,500

4.5

4.4

-0.1

New Jersey

3,905,400

-1,200

44,000

9.9

9.8

-0.1

Kansas

1,348,100

-1,400

10,200

6.2

5.9

-0.3

Wyoming

289,000

-1,500

3,000

5.7

5.4

-0.3

New Hampshire

625,700

-1,700

1,800

5.7

5.7

0

Arkansas

1,165,500

-2,600

10,800

7.3

7.1

-0.2

Indiana

2,899,600

-2,600

65,100

8.3

8.2

-0.1

West Virginia

747,500

-3,200

-10,000

7.5

7.6

0.1

Oklahoma

1,596,700

-3,700

39,600

5.1

5.2

0.1

Iowa

1,489,600

-4,200

11,500

5.5

5.2

-0.3

Louisiana

1,938,500

-6,700

23,300

7.4

7

-0.4

Oregon

1,631,600

-7,900

10,100

8.9

8.7

-0.2

Ohio

5,177,200

-12,800

88,700

7.2

7

-0.2

Michigan

3,982,700

-13,000

38,700

9.4

9.3

-0.1

NOTE: September figures are preliminary. Job totals and unemployment rates are seasonally adjusted.